Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata Le Conte, 1851

Granja-Fernandez, Rebeca, Herrero-Perezrul, Maria D., Lopez-Perez, Ramon A., Hernandez, Luis, Rodriguez-Zaragoza, Fabian A., Jones, Robert Wallace & Pineda-Lopez, Ruben, 2014, Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) from coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific, ZooKeys 406, pp. 101-145 : 111-113

Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata Le Conte, 1851 Figure 2 G–L

Description.

Disk circular with interradial protruding (dd = 1.2 to 10.2 mm). Disk totally covered with short multifid spinules and spines. Radial shields nearly touching distally and separated by a row of scales and spinules (Fig. 2J).Ventral side of the disk sparsely covered by small spines and scales (Fig. 2K). Oral shields wider than long and diamond shaped with lateral sides lobate; madreporite evident. Adoral shields triangular, small and in contact. Oral papillae lacking. A dental papillae cluster at the ventral apex of the jaw (Fig. 2L). Dorsal arm plates pentagonal with rounded edges (Fig. 2H). Ventral arm plates wider than long, wider on the distal edge. Up to eight serrated and hyaline arm spines; top-most spine is usually short, second or third are the longest. One small tentacle scale (Fig. 2I). Color of the disk bluish-purple (Fig. 2G). Mouth area whitish-yellow (Fig. 2K, L).

Distribution.

Bering Sea, USA (California), Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Galapagos Islands ( Clark HL 1911, 1915, Hooker et al. 2005, Neira and Cantera 2005, Alvarado et al. 2010). In Mexico, from the Gulf of California (Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa), on the Pacific side of Baja California and Baja California Sur, Nayarit, Islas Marías, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca ( Solís-Marín et al. 2005, Honey-Escandón et al. 2008, Granja-Fernández and López-Pérez 2011). Depth intertidal to 2059 m ( Maluf 1988). In this study, Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata was collected on coral reefs from Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca, between 1.5 and 26 m depth.

Remarks.

Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata is one of the most conspicuous and abundant species on the coral reefs of the Mexican Pacific. Numerous authors have reported that this species is very abundant in other areas such as California and Panama ( Verrill 1867, McClendon 1909). Austin and Haldfield (1980) reported that densities of Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata reach up to 80 individuals/0.1 m2 in a siltstone reef off Newport Bay, California. We observed that Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata form massive aggregations; the advantages of which has been reported to be protection from predators, enhanced feeding ability in strong currents and to maximize fertilization during broadcast spawning ( Hendler 1991). We found this species in live stony coral, dead coral, rocks, algae, rhodolith and on sponges. According to Maluf (1988), the species can inhabit coral, rocks, sponges, mangroves and sand. As in the same case of Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) rudis , we did not find Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata in sand. Besides the most common color pattern described above, we found some specimens completely orange and yellow collected on sponges and, brown in color which was mostly collected on rocks and dead coral. Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) spiculata is a new record distribution for the state of Colima.

Collected material.

NAYARIT:Las Monas (4 specimens, stony coral, 17/06/2010, ICML-UNAM 10356; 1 specimen, rock, 09/05/2011, ICML-UNAM 10418); Bahía Rabijuncos (5 specimens, stony coral, 08/06/2011, ICML-UNAM 10432).

JALISCO:Cuastecomatito (1 specimen, rock, 30/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10335); Pelícanos (3 specimens, stony coral, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10316; 2 specimens, rock, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10317); La Pajarera (1 specimen, stony coral, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10305; 1 specimen, rock, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10306); La Palma (2 specimens, stony coral, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10322; 1 specimen, rock, 29/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10323); La Virgencita (1 specimen, stony coral, 30/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10339).

COLIMA:La Boquita (1 specimen, stony coral, 2.5 m, 26/02/2010, ICML-UNAM 10252; 5 specimens, stony coral, 01/10/2010, ICML-UNAM 10354); Carrizales (1 specimen, 01/10/2010, ICML-UNAM 10348).

MICHOACÁN:Faro de Bucerías (4 specimens, 28/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10295); Isla Pájaros (3 specimens, stony coral, 28/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10288; 3 specimens, dead coral, 28/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10283); Morro Chino (5 specimens, stony coral, 4.3 m, 23/02/2010, ICML-UNAM 10246); Morro de Enmedio (1 specimen, stony coral, 3.7 m, 24/02/2010, ICML-UNAM 10248).

GUERRERO:Morro del Cerro Colorado (171 specimens, stony coral, 1.5 m, 30/11/2010, MHN 005-4472; 36 specimens, stony coral, 3 m, 30/11/2010, MHN 005-4435; 19 specimens, stony coral, 2.7 m, 30/11/2010, MHN 005-4428; 40 specimens, rock, 30/11/2010, ICML-UNAM 10360; 6 specimens, algae, 30/11/2010, ICML-UNAM 10366; 3 specimens, rhodoliths, 30/11/2010, ICML-UNAM 10367; 16 specimens, sponge, 30/11/2010, ICML-UNAM 10363; 2 specimens, rock, 4.5 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10478; 4 specimens, rhodoliths, 4.5 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10479; 10 specimens, sponge, 4.5 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10480; 37 specimens, dead coral, 3 m, 31/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10558; 27 specimens, rock, 5.5 m, 31/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10559; 2 specimens, sponge, 5.5 m, 31/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10560); Carey (5 specimens, rock, 4 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10496); Zacatoso (2 specimens, rock, 02/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10174; 1 specimen, stony coral, 5.1 m, 18/02/2010, ICML-UNAM 10244; 20 specimens, stony coral, 5.1 m, 01/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10256; 369 specimens, stony coral, 9.1 m, 01/12/2010, MHN 005-4481; 4 specimens, algae, 7.5 m, 01/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10376; 3 specimens, sponge, 01/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10372; 5 specimens, algae, 16.5 m, 02/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10381; 2 specimens, rock, 25/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10504; 30 specimens, rock, 9.1 m, 01/06/2012, ICML-UNAM 10574; 1 specimen, sponge, 9.1 m, 01/06/2012, ICML-UNAM 10575); El Chato (1 specimen, rock, 13.7 m, 04/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10185); Caleta de Chón (1 specimen, rock, 03/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10180; 26 specimens, stony coral, 4.6 m, 02/12/2010, MHN 005-4450; 39 specimens, stony coral, 6.1 m, 02/12/2010, MHN 005-4423; 52 specimens, stony coral, 7.6 m, 02/12/2010, MHN 005-4469; 3 specimens, rock, 02/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10389; 2 specimens, rock, 5 m, 22/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10473); El Yunque (15 specimens, rock, 5.5 m, 04/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10405; 4 specimens, sponge, 5.5 m, 04/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10406; 6 specimens, rock, 8 m, 24/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10501); Manzanillo (5 specimens, stony coral, 3 m, 04/12/2010, MHN 005-4459; 1 specimen, rock, 04/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10416; 10 specimens, rhodoliths, 5.3 m, 04/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10411; 1 specimen, sponge, 6 m, 22/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10465; 5 specimens, rock, 6 m, 22/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10466; 16 specimens, dead coral, 6.1 m, 30/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10545; 24 specimens, rock, 6.1 m, 30/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10546; 4 specimens, sponge, 6.1 m, 30/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10547); Morros de Potosí (5 specimens, rock, 06/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10195; 1 specimen, sponge, 06/03/2009, ICML-UNAM 10196; 13 specimens, stony coral, 11.7 m, 01/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10260; 57 specimens, stony coral, 6.1 m, 03/12/2010, MHN 005-4425; 49 specimens, stony coral, 7.6 m, 03/12/2010, MHN 005-4477; 124 specimens, stony coral, 10.7 m, 03/12/2010, MHN 005-4476; 14 specimens, rock, 03/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10399; 4 specimens, algae, 12.2 m, 03/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10390; 10 specimens, sponge, 03/12/2010, ICML-UNAM 10396); Coral (5 specimens, rock, 5 m, 23/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10490); Palmitas (89 specimens, stony coral, 3.6 m, 03/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10264; 16 specimens, rock, 6.4 m, 20/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10449; 2 specimens, algae, 6.4 m, 20/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10450; 4 specimens, sponge, 6.4 m, 20/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10451); El Ripial (14 specimens, stony coral, 4.6 m, 03/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10267; 6 specimens, 20/11/2011, ICML-UNAM 10460).

OAXACA:Puerto Angelito (5 specimens, rock, 10.7 m, 05/08/2007, MHN 005-4341; 23 specimens, rock, 10 m, 23/04/2012, ICML-UNAM 10507); El Zapatito (15 specimens, rock, 23/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10221); Punto de Presión (3 specimens, rock, 26 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10205; 8 specimens, sponge, 26 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10206); El Faro (7 specimens, rock, 22.9 m, 22/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10211; 13 specimens, rock, 23/04/2009, ICML-UNAM 10227; 23 specimens, rock, 13.5 m, 24/04/2012, ICML-UNAM 10513); Mazunte (4 specimens, stony coral, 4.6 m, 03/06/2010, MHN 005-4416); Estacahuite (2 specimens, stony coral, 7.6 m, 26/03/2010, MHN 005-4405; 6 specimens, stony coral, 8.8 m, 26/03/2010, MHN 005-4402; 3 specimens, stony coral, 9.7 m, 26/03/2010, MHN 005-4398; 7 specimens, stony coral, 10.3 m, 04/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10268); Boquilla (7 specimens, stony coral, 6.3 m, 08/09/2010, ICML-UNAM 10277); Salchi (2 specimens, stony coral, 6.1 m, 26/03/2010, MHN 005-4412); San Agustín (2 specimens, stony coral, 6.4 m, 23/02/2010, MHN 005-4395); Dos Hermanas (1 specimen, rock, 08/08/2011, ICML-UNAM 10422); La Entrega (2 specimens, rock, 03/12/2008, MHN 005-4362; 8 specimens, stony coral, 5.3 m, 06/09/2010, ICML- UNAM 10272); Isla Montosa (1 specimen, stony coral, 3.6 m, 22/02/2010, MHN 005-4386; 1 specimen, stony coral, 5.8 m, 22/02/2010, MHN 005-4383); Guerrilla (10 specimens, rock, 4.9 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10535); Copalita (5 specimens, rock, 9.1 m, 18/05/2012, ICML-UNAM 10529).